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Celebrating 37 Years!

Bill Wheeler and Emmet Eldred

The Origins of Eldred Wheeler Furniture

Emmet Eldred and his partner Bill Wheeler launched their shoestring enterprise in 1977. From its first home in Hanson, MA, Eldred Wheeler grew from a four-man shop building with a bare handful of items to one of the nation’s premiere designers and builders of 18th Century country high style furniture.

Today, the company crafts a wide variety of sought-after period forms, ranging from simple Queen Anne tea tables to fan-carved highboys and lowboys to elaborately detailed bonnet-top secretary desks.

Traditional Furniture Design and Craftsmanship

Cherry and Tiger Maple remain the preferred woods. The quality and historical credibility of Eldred Wheeler furniture spawned a loyal and cherished following of customers and collectors, which continues to grow.

Each Eldred Wheeler edition is created by hand and maintains the same traditions as 18th Century craftsmen in the areas of design, materials, joinery, carving, and finishing. We select wide boards of cherry, maple and tiger maple for hand planing and scraping. Then, classic 18th Century joinery techniques, such as dovetail and mortise and ten on, are used to assemble each design. Finishing is done by hand using time-tested formulas.

We believe that the end result is unique, traditional furniture which elicits the same excitement produced by comparable antiques.

Read About the Company’s Beginning’s in Emmet Eldred’s Own Words

About the Book: A comprehensive reference source for anyone interested in Eldred Wheeler furniture. The book contains pictorial and production guides covering all major pieces, along with a narrative history of the company’s evolution. The guide includes descriptions of the design process, brought to life through the stories of crafting more than twenty prototypes. An authentication section details the company s labeling and branding practices, and describes identifying characteristics such as unique design and construction features. Because of its comprehensiveness, this volume should be of interest to Eldred Wheeler collectors, fine furniture dealers, designers, woodworkers, and anyone merely interested in learning more about handcrafted furniture. Although the main focus is the furniture, this book also tells an entrepreneurial tale that might intrigue anyone starting his or her own business woodworking or otherwise. Copiously illustrated in full color.

“a superlatively illustrated and deftly written compendium of the creations he has made since establishing his own handcrafted, high style, country furniture company that would represent the very best of colonial era furniture with meticulous attention to woodworking detail.” – Midwest Book Reviews